Best Things About a Rain Barrel

I was going to was poetic about how much I love my 75 gallon rain barrel, but I'll spare you the superlatives and give you a list and a short anecdote instead.

1. Rainwater is the best thing to use for plants, much better than treated tap water.*
2. Rainwater is free. A rain barrel will pay for itself!
3. You can water your gardens from a rain barrel, even on restricted watering days.
4. It gives you a source of water outdoors before/after the outdoor water supply is turned on/off.
5. You get to reuse our planet's most important resource slowly and allow it to soak back into the soil.
6. You can reduce stormwater runoff, 55 or 75 gallons at a time. Urban runoff is the number one cause of pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams.

I installed my rain barrel last summer and used it throughout the season to water my nearby gardens. In October, after we winterized the irrigation system and turned off the outdoor water supply, my beloved dog went for a joy run in the marsh and returned coated with stinky mud. He's large and bathing him indoors isn't an option. Think of any comedy film you've seen with a big dog being bathed, shaking and running around and I guarantee you it has happened at our house. He loves getting hosed down in the yard, but with no outdoor water, what to do? Rain barrel to the rescue! We still had 40 plus gallons stored up. Bathing the dog hardly put a dent in that supply.

The same thing happened last week. I know, I should keep better tabs on our large, mischievous dog. It's just that he has big brown eyes and he pretends to be good - until he gets to the edge of the yard. This time he rolled in something so fiendishly vile that ignoring it wasn't an option. Our outdoor water isn't on yet (it's Minnesota - it could still snow). Thank goodness we had a half barrel of collected rainwater from recent rain events with which to bathe him. Now he's clean and smells good (for a dog) and he feels extra soft, to boot.

With our early - and mostly dry - spring I've needed to water my April flowers. The rain barrel is coming in more handy than I expected!

If you're interested in getting a rain barrel, there are several options at different price points. Make sure the rain barrel you select has an outlet for overflow so that excess water doesn't pool around your home's foundation and that it has a screened lid to prevent mosquito breeding. Other than that, go with the style and color you like. My rain barrel pictured above is available at Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies for around $249. It's made of heavy duty plastic, contains recycled material and holds 75 gallons. It has a planting groove in the lid to add some beautiful flowers and vines. You can get a recycled oak wine cast rain barrel at Hedberg for about $220. It holds 55 gallons and has a rustic look. They smell great, too. ;-)

Finally, you can find inexpensive plastic rain barrels in various colors around town that hold 55 gallons. Hedberg is offering beige and green plastic whiskey barrel style containers for only $65 when you preorder online at www.hedbergrainbarrel.com now through Memorial Day, for pick up June 12 and 19.

*Some experts recommend you do not water vegetables with water that has run off an asphalt shingle roof.